Denial: It Ain't Just A River In Egypt
by Medie
Summary: Jim and Megan pull one over on Major Crimes..or did they?


TITLE: Denial: It Ain't Just A River In Egypt  
AUTHOR: M. Edison   
FEEDBACK: Oh yes please! Be gentle though. ;-)  
CATEGORY: AU  
RATING: PG  
SPOILERS: No  
SUMMARY: Blair meets an unusual friend of Megan.  
DISCLAIMER: None of the characters or concepts of the Sentinel or FX: The Series but Lennie does.  
  
  
  
"You seriously have a thing for Jim, admit it." The blonde paramedic folded her   
arms across her midsection and smirked at her friend, Australian accent made   
thick by her laughter.   
  
Megan Connor glared back at Aislynn Tyler. "No. I. Don't!" She gritted out with   
a stubborn glint in her eye.   
  
Secure in the immunity that comes from many years of friendship, Aislynn smiled   
widely and shook her head. "Oh I beg to differ Meg, I know you. When he walks   
by, and you think no one's looking, you get this silly expression on your face.   
Kinda like the look Dingo gets when he's contemplating one of his crazy schemes   
actually works out. Y'know, that big dumb grin?" Aislynn, of course, was   
speaking of her drifter father who always seemed to be getting into one scheme   
or another that would be the big score. A scheme that was just *not quite*   
legal. More often than not, when she heard from him it was to get bail money.   
Dingo Tyler loved his kids but he was not the best of fathers.   
  
"Lennie, I do not have *thing* for Jim Ellison!" Megan practically shouted.   
  
"Sure you do." Aislynn responded serenely. "Your voice gets all breathy when you   
say his name."   
  
"Argh!" Grabbing the nearest throw pillow, the older Australian flung it at her   
friend. "I have to get ready." With that she ducked into the bathroom.   
  
-----------  
2 days earlier...   
  
"Y'know Jim," Simon shared an amused grin with Blair. "Anytime you'd like to   
stop staring at Megan and join us, we're ready."   
  
The Sentinel turned his gaze away from the window that looked into the bullpen   
and looked at his superior. "Sorry Simon.."   
  
The captain chuckled and picked up his coffee cup. "Jim, just invite the lady   
out to dinner and be done with it."   
  
"What are you talking about?" Jim questioned, looking from Simon to Blair and   
back.   
  
"You know exactly what he's talking about, man." Blair pointed to where Megan   
could be seen, walking across the bullpen. "You and Megan have been sneaking   
looks at each other for months. Its about time one of you did something about   
it."   
  
"Preferably this weekend." Simon smirked. "I've got twenty bucks riding on it."   
  
"Twenty bucks?!" Jim's eyebrows rose.   
  
"Uh huh, Brown's been running a pool on you two for about a month." Blair   
admitted with a guilty look.   
  
"Oh really?" Jim mulled that over and fixed a penetrating look on his face. "And   
how big is it?"   
  
Survival instinct firmly intact, Blair thought quickly. "Not bad. A couple   
hundred."   
  
"That so?" A speculative look on his face, the Sentinel looked back out at   
Megan. "Interesting..."   
  
----------  
  
"They're doing what?!" Megan stared at Jim in shock.   
  
"Running a betting pool on us, when we'll start dating." Jim hid his   
embarrassment at discussing the topic with the lady in question and continued   
on. "If you're willing, I have a plan..."   
  
------------  
  
With Megan's agreement, Jim put his scheme into action.   
  
A evening for the date was picked then, via a willing Aislynn, a bet' was   
placed with Brown for that day.   
  
This done, they put their plan into motion.   
  
-------------  
  
Hurrying into the bullpen, Aislynn looked around for Brown.   
  
Spotting her mark, the petite blonde scurried over to the tall detective. "H!"   
  
Tugging on his arm, she tried to pull him along.   
  
"Heya half-pint," Brown smiled down at her.   
  
"It's Jim and Megan! I think he's finally asking her out!"   
  
Those words propelled the tall man into action and he quickly followed her out   
of the bullpen.   
  
Creeping along the hall, they stopped at a corner near the elevator and peered   
out.   
  
The posture they were presented with certainly gave them the impression that Jim   
was asking Megan out.   
  
The inspector was leaning against the wall next to the elevator and she was   
smiling slyly at Jim who stood close to her.   
  
Whatever he said brought a genuine laugh from Megan.   
  
The duo seemed completely unaware of their audience as they chatted and flirted,   
staying where they were until the elevator dinged.   
  
Before the doors could open, the two detectives assumed more business-like   
postures.   
  
When the elevator had unloaded several passengers and had gone on its way, Jim   
and Megan began to leisurely wander in the direction of the two eavesdroppers'   
hiding place.   
  
Quick as a wink, Aislynn and H. scrambled back a few feet. Pretending to be just   
heading in the direction of Major Crime, they chatted and laughed until Megan   
and Jim (looking every bit the professional detectives they were) passed by.   
  
When they were out of earshot, (or so Brown thought) the two 'conspirators'   
grinned at each other.   
  
"Find out when it's going down, if it is, and let me know, ok?" H. asked as they   
reached the door of Major Crime.   
  
"You got it, boss." Aislynn said, in her best approximation of a New York   
accent, before wandering over to visit Blair.   
  
------------  
  
Present day...   
  
Walking out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair and a terry   
cloth robe on her body, Megan found her tiny blonde tormentor stretched across   
the bed leafing through a magazine.   
  
"I do not." She announced, heading off Aislynn's expected accusation.   
  
"Oh no? You definitely looked like it by the elevator the other day!" Aislynn   
smirked. "If you ask me that was not acting."   
  
"Of course it was!" Megan protested, standing before her closet with two dresses   
in hand. "It was all for H.'s benefit."   
  
"Uh huh, right." The skeptical tone in Aislynn's voice gave away her opinion on   
that. "Which is why you've looked through your closet *three* times."   
  
"Well, I have no idea what to wear for a fake date." Came the other woman's   
feeble defence.   
  
"How about that cute red dress? Y'know the one with the v-neck and swirly tail?"   
Aislynn suggested with a perfectly straight face.   
  
A suspicious look on her face, Connor turned to stare at her friend for a long   
moment.   
  
"What? You want this to fool them don't you? At least for a little while?" The   
pretty blonde smiled innocently, taking full advantage of her naturally angelic   
appearance.   
  
Knowing the younger woman was matchmaking, but not really wanting to argue,   
Megan reached for the dress in question.   
  
-------------  
  
"Nice suit, man!" Blair whistled appreciatively as Jim came downstairs. "If that   
doesn't get Megan's attention I don't know what will."   
  
"Easy Chief. You know this isn't for real." Jim cautioned, fussing with his tie.   
  
"Oh come on, Jim!" Blair argued, closing his book. "You and I both know that   
this is, under all the BS, some twisted way of asking her out without having to   
risk the rejection factor."   
  
"You're out of your mind." Ellison grumbled, clearly unhappy with the direction   
the conversation was taking. "Megan and I are just friends."   
  
"Denial...It ain't just a river in Egypt..." Blair grinned at the silly joke.   
"Y'know, Aislynn was right, you two are in complete denial."   
  
"There is nothing to deny."   
  
"No, of course not. There're no sneaked looks in the bullpen, no veiled flirting   
in the break room, and certainly no verbal sparring matches when you're working   
a case together...Jim, you're giving off all the classic Ellison signs of   
attraction, never mind what the Sentinel part of you is doing..." Blair, clearly   
having given this some thought, was on a roll.   
  
"Wait a minute...Whaddya mean the Sentinel part?!" Ellison paused in the search   
for his keys to look over at his friend.   
  
"Oh come on, you are beyond territorial when it comes to Megan. Need I remind   
you of the patrolman last week? I think you made him wet his pants!"   
  
"He had no business looking at her like that. If any other one of the guys'd   
seen him they would've done the same thing." Jim countered, after a few moments   
hesitation.   
  
"Yeah right." Blair smirked. "Any other guy would've acted *exactly* that way."   
  
Pulling on his coat, Ellison shook his head. "Chief, you are delusional."   
Blair just grinned as the Sentinel left. When he was sure Jim was almost out of   
earshot, Blair spoke again. "And you, man, are in complete denial!"   
  
----------------  
  
"At least *admit* you're nervous." Aislynn said from where she was curled up in   
an armchair, watching Megan pace.   
  
"I am not nervous!" Megan tugged a curl away from her face.   
  
Her friend raised a skeptical eyebrow and looked at her for a long moment.   
  
"All right! I'm nervous." She confessed. "But it's not what you think."   
  
"Oh I think it is. Do you remember that guy you were dating in high school?"   
Aislynn grinned impishly. "The way you acted before he came to the house is the   
way you're acting now. And, may I remind you, you almost married Mic."   
  
Megan sighed and sat down across from her friend. "Old friends are the worst.   
You can't get anything by them."   
  
The blonde gave her an unrepentant smile. "Ain't it great?"   
  
The doorbell rang and Aislynn hopped up to answer it.   
  
"Good evening Jim!" She announced cheerily, opening the door and grinning up at   
Megan's date. "Hey Meggie, Prince Charming's here!"   
  
Ellison smiled down at the younger woman. "Hi Aislynn. She ready?"   
  
"Yep!" Aislynn stepped back to let him pass. "You look great by the way."   
  
Jim started to respond but promptly forgot how to speak when Megan stood up.   
Wow.   
  
That was the best his mind could come up with as he stood there looking at her.   
  
Gone was Inspector Conner of the New South Wales Police Department. In her place   
was the most beautiful woman James Ellison had ever seen.   
  
Most of her dark curls had been piled on top of her head, revealing a slender   
neck while the cut of her dress drew attention to her creamy skin and elegant   
curves.   
  
Jim took in the whole package and smiled shakily at her. 'I'm in trouble' he   
thought even as he said, "You look wonderful Megan."   
  
To her surprise and chagrin, Megan blushed. "Thank you." She responded softly.   
"And Lennie's right, you do look great."   
  
Picking up Megan's wrap, Aislynn walked over. "And we all know I love being   
right."   
  
"We'd better get going before her ego gets too big for her to fit though the   
door. "Jim advised, helping Megan with her wrap while unconsciously cataloguing   
how it felt to have her close.   
  
"Very funny Ellison." Aislynn joked. "See if you get the royal treatment on your   
next trip to the hospital. Which reminds me, you're overdue for one."   
  
Jim laughed and reached out to tug on a lock of blonde hair. "Smart ass."   
  
"Cute one." Aislynn countered reaching out to open the door. "Have fun you two."   
  
Jim and Megan flashed nervous smiles at her before walking down the hallway.   
  
Closing the door behind them, Aislynn looked heavenward. "Oh let this work."   
  
------------  
  
'Admit it Ellison' Jim's traitorous mind argued. 'You're attracted to this   
woman!'   
  
Studiously, the Sentinel ignored the chiding voice and helped Megan out of the   
truck, his hands holding hers just a little longer than was necessary.   
  
Megan looked up at him with an unreadable look in her eyes and he was caught.   
  
Sighing inwardly Jim mentally admitted, albeit rather ruefully, 'You've got it   
bad, Ellison.'   
  
"What is it?" Megan queried softly.   
  
Jim flushed slightly, embarrassed at being read so easily, and looked away for a   
moment.   
  
Deciding to push ahead, Ellison smiled somewhat shyly. "What would you say   
Megan, if I said...that to me this was more than a fake date?"   
  
There, it was out. Feeling a rush of elation mixed with anxiety, Jim watched her   
face, searching for a response.   
  
Megan stared at him unsure of what to do.   
  
'Answer him!' An encouraging voice echoed in her mind and Megan absently   
wondered when her subconscious had decided to adopt Lennie's voice.   
  
'Never mind that! Tell him how you feel!'   
  
Feel. How did she feel about Jim?   
  
Standing there, Megan realized she already knew the answer to that question.   
She'd known for a while, she'd just refused to admit it.   
  
Leaning forward, she silently brushed a kiss across his cheek. "You do realize   
the others'll never let us forget about this." Meaning how stubborn they'd been.   
  
A sly smiled curved Jim's lips as he offered his arm. "Which is why we won't   
tell them right away..."   
  
Taking hold of his arm, Megan grinned. "Why Detective, I do like how you think."   
  
As they walked up to the restaurant door, Jim's smile nearly split his face.   
"I'm glad you approve Inspector."   
  
Laughing, they both nodded a hello to the doorman before stepping inside to   
begin their date.   
  
Finis 


End file.
